Astronauts should wear Earth Flags

I always found it peculiar that astronauts had flags of their home countries on their suits. As if in space this would matter at all or even make any sense. They go to space. They may or may not orbit the earth but in any case don’t spend a lot of their time over any particular country.

“But wait…” I hear you say, “their home country has financed research [1] and their trip and made them the person they are etc etc…” While I understand that argument, I reject it. It was not single countries that made the journey possible, it was the millennia-long human endeavor to understand the universe. We don’t go to space as citizens. We go to space as humans. As earthlings.

So, dear space programs of this world: Don’t stick your country’s colors on your astronauts. Consider using something that represents the whole earth. Something that does not represent an arbitrary border made up by humans but rather a more fundamental entity like a planet. Why not try a blue circle or the Earth Flag by James Cadle?

[1] I don’t reject the notion of publicly funded research at all. It is important, should be increased and I applaud the humans who convince their governments to put resources into scientific research.